September 22, 2016

Smithfield Foods expands grain operations in Ohio, US
 

Smithfield Foods announced the expansion of its grain purchasing and handling operations by adding facilities in Harpster and Morral, Ohio, US.

The purchase connects grain and soybean farmers with new, global markets while advancing Smithfield's commitment to supply chain sustainability and proving the benefits of its vertically-integrated structure.

Grain purchased at the Harpster buying station will feed hogs throughout Smithfield's Eastern Hog Production Division. From the Morral buying station, soybeans will be loaded on location and transported to customers around the world.

"We're now able to help feed nine million of our hogs in North Carolina with grain we source directly from Ohio farmers," said Robbie Montgomery, grain origination manager for Smithfield Grain. "With this purchase, we will have the opportunity to make positive impacts to our product quality as well as our environmental footprint by collaborating directly with more farmers."

The Harpster and Morral grain buying stations will be part of the company's existing fertiliser optimisation programme, a collaborative project between Smithfield and the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF). The program, called SmithfieldGro, provides agronomy resources and tools to help farmers optimise their fertiliser application and improve soil health. The program's expansion supports Smithfield in reaching its target of sourcing 75% of feed grain from sustainable origins by 2018.

- Smithfield